Travel || 10 Things to Do in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Posted on April 1, 2019

I was very excited to visit Palma, so I tried to cram in as much as possible. To be honest, I think I over-stretched myself and because I did so, I left Palma not liking it as much as I could have. It always feels like sacrilege to admit that you didn’t have the most amazing time in every place you’ve ever visited.

But there were still many beautiful things to experience in Palma, and I would definitely go back and give it a second chance. I think a longer visit, trying to do less would probably help a lot!

10 Things to Do in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

1. Visit La Seu, the Cathedral of Mallorca

The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (otherwise known as La Seu) dominates the shoreline in Mallorca. It’s a stunning Gothic cathedral built by the Aragons on top of a Moorish-era mosque. It has the second tallest tower of all the Gothic cathedrals and Gaudi was involved briefly in some of the restoration work. It has the honour of being the only European Cathedral that casts a reflection in the sea.

2. Call in to the Joan Miró workshop

Miró’s printmaking workshops are located at Son Boter, an 18th century Mallorcan country house and one of the three buildings that comprise the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró. You get an interesting insight into the artist and the collection is lovely.

3. Shop and eat all the snacks at the Mercat Santa Catalina

The mercat’s website describes itself “as the Soho of Palma” where a wide range of artisanal food sellers from around the world have come to sell their wares. I grabbed some fruit and bread from various stalls and had an impromptu breakfast picnic.

4. Explore the Old Town

The Old Town or ‘Casco Antiguo’ is where a lot of the tourist destinations in Palma are located. From the cathedral to museums, it’s crammed with things to do and the medieval streets are beautiful.

5. Walk along the sea front and marina

If Palma is known as the pearl of the Balearic islands, then the sea front and marina are its beautiful shell. The port was recently refurbished and is basically in the heart of the town. Between the warm salty air, and the swaying tips of sailboats, it’s a very relaxing place to take a stroll.

6. Visit the Palau March

This is the house (re: palace) of the insanely wealthy March family. Well, one of their residences anyways. It’s now a contemporary art museum. Inside there are statues from modern greats like Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Chillida. There are also works of art from Salvador Dalí and Barcelona’s Josep Maria Sert and Xavier Corberó.

7. Enrich yourself with some modern art at Es Baluard

For a reasonably small city, Palma has a plethora of amazing modern and contemporary art spaces. I think my favourite was the Es Baluard. It exhibits art from Balearic artists or art made by those related somehow to the Balearic Islands. Plus there’s an amazing view of both the city and the sea from the museum.

8. Go to see the Castell de Bellver

The castle is 3 km outside of Palma and it was built in the 14th century for King James II of Mallorca. It was the seat of the Kings of Mallorca for some time, but most recently it was a military prison from the 18th-mid 20th centuries.

9. Do some shopping on the Passeig des Born

This street is a tree-lined promenade in the centre of the city that is flanked by really, really expensive shops and cafes. It’s existed for over 100 years and though I could only window shop, it’s still fun to do that every once in awhile.

10. Go inside the Palau de l’Alumdaina

It’s the royal palace right next to La Seu. It was originally built by Muslim governors after the Arab Conquest but was converted to a Gothic style under James II of Mallorca. It marries medieval styles with later architecture and it’s really interesting to see where the royal family lived for many, many years. It’s technically styled as a Royal Palace of the King of Spain (like the Royal Palace in Madrid).